Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

Agree with Danny - I regularly need to employ some additional handy-man type labour, and it's nigh on impossible to get reliable and competent workmen. Those that are, ask for $50+ p/hr.

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

If you're put off of BC and Alberta by the apparent distance to the UK, don't, as they're not that drastically different all things considered!

Here are the approximate flight times:

London to Toronto: 7 hours, 15 minutes
London to Calgary: 8 hours 45 minutes
London to Vancouver: 9 hours, 20 minutes

Vancouver to Calgary: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Vancouver to Toronto: 4 hours, 20 minutes
Calgary to Toronto: 3 hours, 35 minutes

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

Hi Jimbloby,

I recently posted a list of the collective Trade Union rates for the Province of Alberta for manual construction trades - seach for 'pay rates manual trades' and you'll find it.

Anyway, for Concrete Workers the base rate was 33.01/hour, and for Plant Operators the base rate was 33.81/hour.

If you've a useful construction skill/trade, there's no reason why you'd need to consider working for 8 bucks an hour.

Hope this helps.

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

Come to BC! Salt Spring Island joiners are never out of work and charge as much as $60 an hour if they are good. $40 an hour easy.

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

Hi Jimbloby,

I'm not sure you quite realise the fortunate position you could be in living mortgage free. First, forget minimum wage jobs. They're good for bare survival and nothing else. Also apart from the lousy pay they usually have the least amount of vacation, do you really want to work 40 hour weeks for $8 or so an hour and only 15 days vacation? :thumbdown:

If you are able to meet Canadian entry criteria you must have something about you, your education or skills, the kind of things most of the people working minimum wage jobs usually don't have.

Instead think about contract or temporary work, the kind of work that a lot of people find themselves unable to do because they need a steady income. It's not as secure but it tends to pay a better hourly rate. You obviously have several different marketable skills, and judging from some of the comments you could earn a far better wage than the minimum.

Good luck!

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

thanks for the advice. I am currently putting together a resume which graphicly demonstrates my skills and intend to use it as a link for my resume advertising on a domain. Hopefully this will attract more interest and if not gain a job offer for immigration purposes lead to some useful contacts when we eventually land (18 months). The reason for the question in the first place is because the opportunities have not presented themselves to me yet within the Ontario job market. As my entry just scores enough points a job offer is invaluable to us.So aiming high is what i believe is best option but i like to know before i get there that it is achievable on bare minimum.

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

Who pays that wage then?
I have seen plenty of skilled trades jobs advertised and nothing more than $32 an hour where i am . Employers seem to be crying out for Plumbers, drywallers, electricians, automotive mechanics but not at that kind of salary.

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

I answered the original question as to how much one would need to be paid per hour to survive with a family of two kids. It bore no reference to the type of work.

I said at LEAST $45 per hour.

I suggest making crystal meth in your bathtub. They love it out West.

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

I make that $90,000 a year. That seems a bit better than survival to me.

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

Yes better than survival but certainly not anything near the OP's "reasonably comfortable lifestyle".

Two kids, two adults, two cars, two pets- no way.

Not do-able. Sorry.

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

I do it easily on $45,000

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

We live a "reasonably comfortable lifestyle" on far less than 90k...but if I had to include higher mortgage payments in a more populated/ popular area, car payments, newcomers insurance rates etc, 90k might not be far off...but there is no obligation to move to Toronto or Vancouver or Calgary, or drive $30k cars.


All those people paying $40-50hr to tradespeople....after the overheads and other business expenses are subtracted from that , they are not taking home anything like that amount are they;)

Our business pays the shopfloor people an average of about $15 and hour, but our burdened rate...the rate that factors in all the other overheads, and that we use to calculate our real costs, is in excess of $50 an hour.

Paying a craftsman $50 an hour to do a job does not necessarily mean craftsmen are paid $50 an hour.

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

That wage (and higher) is charged out by many trades, obviously that's a gross income, but would certainly leave enough to live comfortably off after o/heads have been deducted. One reason I chose self-employment here was to be able to control my own income more than being a corporate wage slave ;)

Re: Minimum wage-can you survive on it?
 

With two kids etc.??